Hello and welcome! I came across an article on The Hockey Writers website ranking the top 10 leagues world-wide. The link to the article is https://thehockeywriters.com/top-10-best-ice-hockey-leagues/. The reason I find this article interesting is that, while 8 of the 10 leagues are professional (the NHL, of course, anchors the top spot), the ninth and tenth spots are the NCAA and the Ontario Hockey League, respectively. Also, the article provides an honorable mention to the other two major junior leagues, the WHL and the QMJHL. The WHL’s top HM appearance, as well as the great offensive players who developed in that league, make it clear that its reputation of primarily developing defensemen (although the league does churn out its share of top-flight D-men) simply is not true. The presence of the NCAA on this list also highlights the fact that American college hockey continues to produce top NHL talent by virtue of the amount and quality of Canadian and American players competing at that level. This has not always been the case; I believe the watershed moment for American college hockey was 1980’s “Miracle on Ice,” when a group of college players beat an “unbeatable” Soviet Union squad, then went on to win the gold medal. The annual influx of top Canadian talent has served to further enhance college hockey’s caliber.
October 6, 2024